How You Get the Girl
by legilimom
Summary: Severus made a huge mistake 6 months ago when Hermione told him she loved him. Now he's swallowed his pride and found the courage to approach her to ask for forgiveness. Is it too late? Or will Severus finally have his "happily ever after?" - Inspired by Taylor Swift's "How You Get the Girl."


Disclaimer: I don't own the characters. They belong to the amazing JK Rowling. Song by Taylor Swift.

* * *

He could hear several voices, and then he heard her laugh. God, how he had missed that sound. He did not want to interrupt her while she had company, but he knew that if he did not do this now, he may never gather the courage again. _Now or never_ he thought. He raised his hand, took a deep breath, and knocked.

He could hear her tell her friends she would be right back, and a few seconds later the door opened. Her laughing smile immediately dropped when she saw him. "What are you doing here? It's pouring out, are you crazy?"

 _ **Stand there like a ghost shaking from the rain (rain).  
She'll open up the door and say, "Are you insane ('ane)?"**_

He dropped his head and looked down. "I am crazy, but not for that reason." When he looked back up she had a shocked look on her face. "And what is that supposed to mean, Severus?"

"Could we talk, Hermione? Please?"

She looked behind her for a second and when she turned back around she said, "fine. What is it?"

 _ **Say it's been a long 6 months  
And you were too afraid to tell her what you want.**_

 ** _And that's how it works._**  
 ** _That's how you get the girl._**  
 ** _And then you say,_**

"I was so stupid, Hermione. I am no better than the dunderheads that I have taught. Can you ever forgive me?"

Then they heard a voice from inside. "Hermione, who is it? What's taking so long?" Just then, Potter came into view behind her. "Snape! What do you want? Back to break her heart some more?!"

 _Flashback_

 _"What do you mean you don't love me, Severus?! Is that what I'm supposed to believe from the way you look at me and the way you kiss me? I don't believe you! You love me! Just as I love you! You must! I know it!"_

 _He rounded at her with as much anger as he could. "Of course I do not love you! How could I?! You are nothing short of irritating and you could never compare to Lily!"_

 _He had known exactly which buttons to push to push her away. He knew she was self-conscious about her studying and questions being irritating. He also knew Lily had nothing on HER, but she was constantly feeling as though she could never compare to his first love._

 _He could not risk her choosing someone else over him one day. And she would. She was far too brilliant and beautiful to be with him for long. Best to end it now. She will get over it soon, and she will be happy it ended and find someone better than him._

 _She had stood there for a couple minutes gaping at him, shocked, with tears silently falling. It nearly made him take back his words and rush to her to tell her he did not mean any of it. But then she had turned and ran out of his house, quickly dissaparating when she got past his wards._

 _End Flashback_

 _ **"I want you for worse or for better,  
I would wait forever and ever,  
Broke your heart, I'll put it back together.  
I would wait forever and ever."**_

 _ **And that's how it works**_  
 _ **It's how you get the girl, girl...**_  
 _ **Oh.**_

"I deserve that, Mr. Potter. Hell, I deserve so much more than that." He then turned to look at Hermione. "But if Hermione will let me, I would like to explain myself." He looked at her, waiting for a response. He knew her other friends had joined Potter behind her, waiting for her response. She nodded briefly and he jumped at the chance she was giving him, audience be damned.

 _ **And that's how it works**_  
 _ **It's how you get the girl, girl...**_

 _ **Remind her how it used to be (yeah, yeah)**_  
 _ **With pictures in frames of kisses on cheeks (cheeks)**_  
 _ **Tell her how you must have lost your mind. (uh-uh)**_  
 _ **When you left her all alone, and never told her why (why).**_

 _ **And that's how it works.**_  
 _ **That's how you lost the girl.**_  
 _ **And now you say,**_

"Hermione, six months ago when you told me you loved me, I was overjoyed, yet terrified. I had been in love only once before you. She choose someone else. Someone better. I was sure you would do the same. I should have known you better than that, though." He sighed "I lied that night." He took a step closer to her.

 ** _I want you for worse or for better_**  
 ** _I would wait for ever and ever_**  
 ** _Broke your heart, I'll put it back together_**  
 ** _I would wait for ever and ever_**

"You are not irritating. Not in the slightest. I love our talks. No one else can challenge my ideas like you can. No one else shares my love of books. No one else can answer my questions with her own amazingly insightful questions. But that is not all I lied about that night. You are beautiful, incredible, wonderful, compassionate, and no one could ever compare to you. Not even Lily. I loved her, yes. She was my first love, but you are so much more than that. You are my soul mate, my true love. I love you with all that I am, Hermione. I am so sorry that I was a coward. I thought you could do better than me. I did not want to get hurt again. I was wrong. I hurt myself by hurting you. And hurting you was the most painful thing I have ever gone through. It has taken me six months to swallow my pride and gather the courage to face you again."

 _ **And that's how it works**_  
 _ **It's how you get the girl, girl, oh**_  
 _ **And that's how it works**_  
 _ **It's how you get the girl, girl**_  
 _ **Yeah yeah**_

"If you give me another chance I will spend every single day showing you exactly how much you mean to me. I will never hurt you again and I will always be there for you. However, I will completely understand if you have moved on or do not want anything else to do with me. It is my own fault for taking so long. I just had to tell you. I will wait for you. Even if you never come back to me, I will always be waiting for you. I love you."

 ** _And you know_**  
 ** _That I don't want you to go_**  
 ** _Remind me how it used to be_**  
 ** _Pictures in frames of kisses on cheeks_**  
 ** _And say you want me, yeah, yeah_**

He reached up and cupped her cheek. He looked into her eyes for a moment, trying to convey his love for her.

He slowly lowered his hand and stepped back. He noticed that all her friends behind her had looks of shock and awe. He slowly turned around, and with one final look at her, started to walk away back into the rain.

 _ **And then you say**_  
 _ **I want you for worse or for better**_  
 _ **I would wait for ever and ever**_  
 _ **Broke your heart, I'll put it back together**_  
 _ **I would wait for ever and ever**_

Just as he was about to dissaparate, he heard her call to him. It was exactly what he had been hoping for. It made his heart skip a beat and his breath catch.

"Severus! Wait!"

He turned around just in time for her to run into his arms. Even though the rain was hiding the tears, he could tell she was crying. He brought his hands up to hold her cheeks.

"You don't get to make a declaration like that and then just walk away! You stupid man! You're supposed to kiss me!"

He didn't waste any time in capturing her lips with his. He sighed into the kiss, grateful that the fates had brought her to him and that she was giving him another chance.

She slowly pulled away and looked up at him. "How do you plan on proving to me that you won't push me away again?"

"Simple." He said. "I plan to make you my wife."

She gaped at him, surprised. "If that is your idea of a proposal, Severus Snape, I suggest you rethink that!"

He laughed out loud and kissed her again. He then got down on one knee, and in the middle of Hermione's yard, in the pouring rain, in the middle of the night, he asked "Hermione Jean Granger, will you marry this poor old sod who was an idiot to push you away?"

He watched, completely mesmerized, as she smiled and nodded. As he slipped the ring on her finger all he could think was that he never wanted to be the reason for her to frown or cry ever again. He swore to himself he would do all he could to keep that smile on her face for the rest of their lives.

 ** _And that's how it works_**  
 ** _It's how you get the girl, girl, oh_**  
 ** _And that's how it works_**  
 ** _It's how you get the girl, girl_**  
 ** _And that's how it works_**  
 ** _It's how you get the girl, girl, oh_**  
 ** _And that's how it works_**  
 ** _It's how you get the girl, girl_**

 ** _And that's how it works_**  
 ** _That's how you got the girl_**

* * *

This is my first completed fic, so tell me what you think, but don't be too harsh!


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